The Meaning of Home
by Briar Elwood
Summary: A few changes are in store when the Ori and SG1 meet up in the town Vala grew up in. DV
1. Introduction to Domus

"Are you gonna sit there like a lump on a log or are you going to be of _some_ use?" Daniel Jackson asked testily. Vala Mal Doran looked up to see him glaring at her out of the corner of his eye as he worked on something inside the DHD.

"Well, what am I supposed to do?" she shot back. Both of their tempers were currently raw, seeing as that _somehow_, they weren't exactly sure how, they had gotten separated from the rest of the team and they weren't being able to contact them on their radios. Above all, the Stargate wasn't working. So Daniel had decided to try to do what Samantha Carter usually would've done and it wasn't going to well.

"I don't know!" Daniel barked. "Go…scout the area or something."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Vala growled mockingly, standing up. Daniel whirled around and gave her a death glare. Vala returned it. Then she turned heel and stormed off into the thick woods. Grumbling and muttering angrily to herself, Vala pushed through the forest and didn't even think of going back or stopping until she came to the edge of it. She stumbled to a dead stop, eyes wide and surprised as she look upon the scene front of her. Quickly, she grabbed her radio, praying Daniel would be able to hear her.

XxXxX

_"Daniel?"_

Swearing under his breath, Daniel dropped the wires he was clutching only to be showered by painful sparks. He swore louder and hit his radio.

"What, Vala?" he demanded.

_"I, uh…found a town."_

He frowned. "What sort of a town?"

_"Uh…one with people? What kind of a question is that?"_

Daniel sighed, closing his eyes wearily. "All right. I'm coming."

XxXxX

"Cute little town," Daniel commented dryly. "Whoop-de-do. Let's go back to the 'gate." He turned to leave but stopped when Vala grabbed his arm, her nails digging deep into his skin. He frowned at her, finally noticing the blank look on her face.

"What's wrong, Vala?" he asked, starting to become a little more gentle.

"I _know_ that town, Daniel," she told him breathlessly. "I don't know why I didn't recognize the planet before now…"

"Should we be sprinting the opposite direction from the mob with pitchforks right now?" Daniel inquired. She shot him a glare before shaking her head.

"They're not farmers, first of all. I mean, look at that!" She waved an arm out at the town. "Looks a lot like Earth, doesn't it?"

Daniel turned his head to look at the town again and shrugged. "Sort of. I guess." He turned back to Vala, his brow furrowing in concern. "What is this place, Vala? How do you know it?"

"It's my home," she finally answered. "This is where I grew up."

Daniel stared at her, shocked, for a few moments, blinking. "Wait—this is where Qe'tesh…?"

Vala nodded. "This is where my father lives. And my sister. And brother. And all my childhood friends. A-a-and…Domus."

"Domus?" Daniel repeated, confused.

"We were to get married…" she whispered. Suddenly, Daniel remembered.

"Oh. Yeah. Him. Uh…do you want--?"

"Yes, Daniel!" Vala burst, her clutch on his arm hardening. "I want to see them again! I want—"

"Whoa, wait, Vala," Daniel cautioned, trying to loosen her grip. "We don't know how they'll react to seeing you again. We might want to go in disguise."

"But—"

"No buts, Vala. You stay here. I'll go get us some things to change into," he told her gently, leading her to an old tree stump and sitting her down on it. "Promise me you will stay here?"

She stared at him desperately, pleadingly, but after seeing he wasn't going to back down, she nodded, defeated. "All right. I promise."

"Are you sure?" Daniel clarified. Vala glared at him but nodded.

"Yeah."

"Okay," he said, reassured. "I'll be right back."

XxXxX

"I see where you picked up your fondness for leather," Daniel muttered as he returned, throwing her a completely leather outfit. "And don't forget to put on the hat. Put your hair up too. Well…hide your face somehow, okay?"

Vala nodded, picking up the clothes and examining them. "What'd you get for yourself?" she asked curiously.

"Basically the same outfit I wore when we were trying to figure out those bracelets and we ended up having to run around half the galaxy," Daniel replied, ducking behind a tree to change. Vala's eyes brightened as she took off her BDUs.

"Oo. I _liked_ that outfit on you," she told him. "The pants showed you off nicely, if you know what I mean."

"Unfortunately, I know quite well what you mean," Daniel muttered. "Luckily these pants are a little bigger."

"Aw. That stinks."

Daniel grunted his reply. "You decent?" he asked.

"For you, dear, always," Vala replied, grinning. Daniel sighed.

"Vala…"

"Oh, fine," she grumbled good-naturedly. "Yes, I'm decent."

"Okay." Daniel walked out from behind the tree and stared at Vala. After a moment, he shook his head, smiling. "I guess I've gotten used to seeing you in BDUs."

Vala grinned. "I look that good, do I?"

"I didn't say that!"

"But you were thinking it," she taunted. Daniel frowned.

"Was not," he defended quietly. "Let's go."

Suddenly a familiar sound made both their heads turn towards the sky, past the town. The sight that greeted them made both of their hearts heavy, but Vala's so much as to drop, hard, deep into her stomach. An Ori ship was appearing in the horizon, coming closer to the town.

"No…" Vala whispered. Daniel glanced at her worriedly.

"Maybe we can stop them, Vala," he whispered, grabbing her hand and clutching it reassuringly. She looked up at him gratefully.

"You think so?"

He smiled and shrugged. "It's worth a try, isn't it?"

Vala nodded enthusiastically. Daniel grinned at her. "Then let's go."

XxXxX

"We have been enslaved by false gods before! Why should we believe _you_ are any different?"

"That's Domus," Vala whispered to Daniel as they approached the back of the crowd. Daniel frowned thoughtfully and nodded, turning to watch Vala's ex-fiancé. He couldn't tell much about him from the back, but he stood tall and had cropped, brown hair, about the same shade as Daniel's.

"Adria herself showed up for this one," Daniel muttered, narrowing his eyes at the Orici. "I wonder if Domus will notice the resemblance."

Vala gave him a sideways glance before turning back to watch.

"The Ori are far different from the false gods you speak of, the Goa'uld," Adria told Domus calmly. "The Goa'uld would manipulate and deceive, whilst we only wish to show you the path to eternal salvation. They would steal away your loved ones, whilst we encourage such happiness and would never interfere in such relationships. You, yourself, Domus, lost a loved one to Goa'uld, haven't you? Many years ago, your fiancé…" She drifted off; a look of mild surprise coming across her features and her eyes swept the crowd. Daniel winced when they rested on the woman standing next to him. "Vala Mal Doran," Adria continued, an amused smile growing on her lips. "She was taken by the Goa'uld, Qe'tesh, a long time ago. You didn't understand at first, why she suddenly changed so much. Then she disappeared. You never saw her again."

Domus stared at Adria, open-mouthed. "How--?"

Adria smiled at him. "Such is the power of the Ori," she answered simply.

Suddenly a firm hand clapped down on Vala's shoulder.

"Vala."

Vala and Daniel whirled around to see Tomin, a wistful smile resting on his lips. "Vala, I've missed you."

Vala stared at him, taken off guard, for a moment before he suddenly drew her into an embrace. Daniel stood off to the side, awkwardly. Tomin caught sight of the archeologist and his smile vanished. He backed away from Vala, his eyes fixed on Daniel's face. Daniel met his gaze uneasily.

"Uh…Tomin, I believe you've met Daniel before," Vala said awkwardly. Tomin gaze didn't waver.

"Yes," he replied shortly. "I have."

"Daniel, you know Tomin. My husband."

"Yeah. I do."

"Mother," Adria greeted. The three turned quickly, not having heard her approach. "It is good to see you again." She turned to Tomin. "Come, Tomin. We must let the people think about their options for now." She took Tomin by the arm and led him away.

"You know…your daughter is quite smart," Daniel mumbled.

"Vala?"

Vala turned on her heel to see Domus standing directly in front of her. "Domus!" she exclaimed. "I-I-I…"

Silence consumed the area as the rest of the townspeople gathered around to examine Vala, a person they once knew. Daniel almost felt cornered, though he knew no one was paying any attention to him at all. It was at this time that he took the opportunity to observe Domus more thoroughly.

He was tall, around six feet, short brown hair, and sky blue eyes. Crinkles around the edges of his eyes revealed his aging and long gone laughter. His thin, pink lips were curved down into a frown, like he had been grieving for too long. And Daniel supposed that he had. Suddenly he could observe the man no longer for Vala was in the way, embracing him in a hug that couldn't possibly show how much she had missed him. Though she certainly tried. After she drew away, she looked around at the rest of her old friends.

"Dad…" she whispered, giving a white haired man an enormous hug. "Jaine…Rix…" On and on she went, reuniting with all her family and friends. There was only one woman she didn't embrace, and Daniel understood why when he heard Vala whisper her name. "Adria…"

"Finally decided to show up again, d'ja, Vala?" the old woman asked angrily. Vala gritted her teeth and didn't answer.

"Adria," Vala's father said warningly. "We should rejoice!"

Vala's stepmother glared at her husband before putting on a toothy and extremely false smile. "Of course. This calls for a celebration. But first," she said, finally noticing Daniel, "introduce us to this man here."

Vala followed her stepmother's gaze and almost seemed surprised when her eyes met Daniel's. "Oh! Yes. Um. Adria, Dad. Domus. This is Doctor Daniel Jackson. He's one of my best friends."

Daniel waved shortly, an awkward smile on his face. Adria's eyes swept over him judgingly.

"Doctor?" she repeated.

"Uh…yeah. He's an archeologist. And linguist," Vala explained.

"Wonderful!" Vala's father exclaimed, with a worried glance at his wife. "Now, about that celebration…"

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	2. You're Happy Here

Daniel found himself becoming best friends with Vala's father, Gigno, during the celebration. He explained his friendship with Vala, and how she worked with him and the team, exploring and trying to rid the galaxy of evil aliens, such as the Goa'uld and the Ori. Gigno had seemed quite impressed after hearing it was SG-1 who had defeated Anubis and immediately had wanted to know everything about Daniel. He listened solemnly as Daniel explained the Ori and had even tried to think if he had seen the rest of the team recently. He hadn't, but all the same, Daniel grew fond of Vala's father in those few hours, whilst in the back of his mind, he knew the entire time he was toasting this and that, getting more and more drunk with Gigno, Vala was reuniting with Domus. For some reason, that bothered Daniel to no end.

Finally, he excused himself to Gigno and found Vala, the most sincere smile on her face that Daniel had ever seen. He apologized to Domus and led Vala out to the balcony of her parents' home, leaning against the railing and watching her thoughtfully. She smiled confusedly at him.

"What is it, Daniel?"

"Gigno tells me you used to be quite different," Daniel said softly, not quite answering Vala's question. Vala blushed.

"What'd Dad tell you?" she asked, embarrassed.

"That you were the quiet type. The type that would much rather curl up by the fire and read a book than do…anything, really," Daniel replied, his voice strangely soft. "He said you were so quiet, he almost _wished_ you'd go out and get drunk and laid or something."

Vala laughed. "Did you tell him what I'm like now?"

Daniel shook his head. "But you're not, Vala. Not now. I think you've gone back to that quietness. Just look at you."

Vala only blushed, not quite knowing how she was supposed to reply to that. Daniel shook his head and turned to look out at the black sky.

"I'm going to miss you, Vala," he said after a while. Vala frowned and walked closer to him.

"What do you mean, Daniel? I'm not—"

"You _are_ going to stay here," Daniel said, turning to look her deep in the eyes. "I'm not saying I _want_ you to…but you will. You're happy here. You have a life here. You have Domus. Gigno. Jaine, Rix. Heck, you even have Adria, though you may not like her. You have a life waiting for you. It's _been_ waiting for you. You'll marry Domus and have a few kids…"

Vala shook her head. "I told Domus about Tomin. There's no way Domus will marry me while I'm already married to another man."

Daniel looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. "Then divorce Tomin," he finally replied. "You've never really loved him that way, anyway, have you? Not the way you love Domus."

Vala stared at Daniel for a moment. "I couldn't do that to Tomin," she said quietly.

"Oh, come on, Vala. You're only hurting yourself if you don't."

Vala watched Daniel's face for a while, looking for an explanation. "You sound like you're _trying_ to get rid of me."

Daniel shook his head, closing his eyes and looking back out to the sky. "Didn't you hear me? I'll miss you, Vala. More than I can put into words. But you'll be happy here." He turned around to face inside and gestured at it. "This is your home."

Vala frowned at him before sighing and nodding. "All right. I'll think about it."

"Vala?"

The friends turned around to see Domus standing in the doorway, worried blue eyes flitting back and forth between Vala and Daniel.

"Is everything okay?" Domus asked, walking forward and taking Vala's hand. She gazed into his familiar eyes; eyes so much like Tomin's and even more so like Daniel's.

"Yes, everything's fine."

Domus smiled, assured and now completely unaware of the linguist lingering by the railing.

"Gigno has gathered a few musicians together to make a band and people have started to dance," Domus said, his voice husky. "Would you like to be my partner?"

Vala smiled, eyes twinkling. "Of course, Domus."

They walked back inside, never retreating from each other's arms, leaving Daniel alone with his conflicting heart and mind. He went back inside once, only to grab a wine glass and a few bottles of what Gigno had proclaimed to be the "good stuff".

XxXxX

Dawn broke as Daniel cleaned yet another glass of the good stuff. Throughout the night he had grown quite fond of the drink, finding it bitter to the taste but it fogged his mind so thoroughly, he couldn't exactly complain even if he had wanted to. Suppressing a hiccup, Daniel turned to watch the strangely wavering sunrise and frowned. Three familiar looking figures were walking down the still-deserted main street, inhumanly shooting farther and closer quite randomly. He downed another glass of the good stuff and jumped over the railing overconfidently.

"Daniel!" Samantha Carter cried, concerned. Quickly, she rushed to his side and helped him up. He hiccupped and grinned at her.

"Sam!" he greeted, stumbling towards her and wrapping his arms around her. She looked surprised and almost flustered for a moment before realization dawned on her and she grinned, patting the archeologist's back.

"You're drunk, aren't you, Daniel?" she asked, pulling away.

"_Hic_-yes. Very," Daniel replied, eyes glassy. "You-_hic_-missed the party, Sam! Vala's getting-_hic_-married!"

"Whoa!" Cam interrupted, taking a step towards him. "First, where is Vala? Second, what party? Third…_married_?"

Daniel nodded enthusiastically. Suddenly he frowned. "Who-_hic_-told you about the party, Cammy?"

Cameron couldn't reply, too appalled by the nickname Daniel had just given him. Sam covered a giggle with a short cough.

"Just answer his questions, Daniel."

"Um…oh! Vala! (_Hic_). She's…inside! This is-_hic_-her hometown, did you know that?" Daniel nodded again, stumbling slightly from the effort. "(_Hic_). And then…party! They-_hic_-all celebrated her return! I met everyone-_hic_-she grew up with. Her sister, Jaine, spelled-_hic_-not J-A-…" He trailed off, thinking hard.

"N-E," Teal'c supplied.

"Yes! But J-A-…(_hic_)…there's an "I" in there somewhere…(_hic_). Anyway! And her brother, Rix. Kinda like-_hic_-Rex, but Rix. And her step-_hic_-mother, Adria. The one she named Adria after. (_Hic_). And her father, Gigno." Daniel's grin returned. "I like-_hic_-Gigno. Very…outgoing man. Did you know Vala-_hic_-used to be extremely quiet before Qe-_hic_-tesh took her? Gigno told me-_hic_-so." Suddenly Daniel frowned. "Then there was Domus."

Sam and Cameron frowned. "Who's Domus, Daniel?" Sam asked gently.

"Her fiancé," Daniel mumbled dejectedly.

"Wait—she got engaged last night?" Cam inquired, confused. Daniel shook his head.

"They were engaged-_hic_-before Qe'tesh took her," he mumbled. Suddenly he looked up, staring deep into Cam's eyes. Cam involuntarily took a step backwards. "Did I tell you-_hic_-Vala's getting married?"

XxXxX

"Dad?" Vala asked, coming up to her familiarly tipsy father. Gigno looked up and grinned at her. It took him three tries to stand up.

"Vala, darling!" he exclaimed, louder than necessary. "How are you this…morning?" He looked to Adria for confirmation. Adria sighed, rolled her eyes, and nodded. Vala smiled and shook her head.

"I'm fine, Dad. It's just…have you seen Daniel this morning?" she asked, concerned. Gigno's eyes lit with recognition.

"That lovely man you work with? I really like him, Vala, darling, I really do." He grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her in closer to whisper into her ear. Vala winced from his breath…and from his words. "I wouldn't mind at all, Vala, darling, if you chose him over that stiff-necked Domus."

Vala backed away quickly. "Have you seen him?" she asked again, trying to ignore what Gigno had just said. Gigno shook his head, stumbling back and clutching a table for support.

"Not this morning, Vala, darling. Last I saw him, he was taking a few bottles of the really good stuff with him onto the balcony."

Vala widened her eyes and thanked Gigno before rushing to the balcony. She took in the now-broken wine glass and the several empty bottles of the "good stuff", also known as the "hard stuff", and scurried to the railing. After seeing the rest of the team and Daniel, all in one piece, thankfully, she smiled wryly to herself, and ran downstairs to greet them.

XxXxX

"Daniel!"

Daniel whirled around dangerously to see Vala jogging towards him. "Vala!" he exclaimed happily. He turned to Cameron. "Have I-_hic_-told you Vala's getting married?"

Vala glared at him as she approached them. "Nothing's for certain yet. I told you I'd think about it."

"Wait, _you_ were the one who suggested it?" Sam clarified, surprised. Daniel nodded, not as enthusiastically as one would've thought. Vala frowned at him.

"Daniel, for future reference, not that you'll remember this, but still. For future reference, you're not supposed to drink all the 'good stuff' at once," she told him sternly. Daniel pouted at her.

"But I _like_ the-_hic_-good stuff," he whined.

"You're supposed to _save_ the good stuff. Or the hard stuff as the rest of us call it," Vala added under her breath. Sam laughed.

"So, this Domus," she said, changing the subject. "I'd like to meet him."

"Same here!" Cam added. "You gonna be leaving us for him?"

"I believe we _all_ would like to meet your fiancé, Vala Mal Doran," Teal'c told her. Vala blushed.

"He's not really…"

"Oh, just introduce us to him, Vala," Sam interrupted good-naturedly. Vala smiled and nodded.

"All right."

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	3. The Truth Hits Daniel

Only a few hours later, Daniel stumbled upon a scene, back in Gigno's home, he had hoped not to stumble upon. Domus, Sam, Teal'c, and Cameron were all off to the side, watching as Vala tried to explain to a desperate Tomin why she was breaking it off. Tomin suddenly caught sight of Daniel and stormed over to him.

"You!" he cried through his angry tears. "This is all your fault! She is leaving me for _you_! If I didn't have strict orders not to kill you…"

"Tomin!" Vala exclaimed, taking a step towards them.

"It's not me," Daniel replied sullenly, the giddiness of the wine having faded off. He jerked his head Domus's direction. "It's him."

Tomin looked shocked, head whipping back and forth between Daniel and Domus. Then he gave Vala one last despairing glance before rushing off to the Ori ship. As they all watched, they were surprised to see the Ori ship take off and leave. Cam commented on it mildly and Sam whispered back that Adria must not have wanted to hurt Vala. Meanwhile, Domus and Vala's eyes had locked and their hands rested in each other's. Cameron looked to Daniel to see a dead expression on his face and frowned, walking over to him.

"Does this mean we can start back where we left off?" Domus asked Vala.

"Can't believe you're letting her go this easily, Jackson," Cam hissed lowly. Daniel's jaw tensed visibly, his eyes fixed on Domus and Vala.

"Yes," Vala whispered happily.

"I mean, I thought—"

"Cameron, you're not making this any easier," Daniel interrupted harshly. Cam recoiled, shocked, and stared at Daniel. Then he quickly rushed back to Sam.

"What'd you say?" she demanded quietly as Vala and Domus enveloped one another in a tight embrace. Cam shook his head worriedly, his gaze flitting between Daniel and the reuniting couple.

Vala looked up into Domus's baby blue eyes and smiled. He smiled back, leaning in slightly to brush her lips with his. Immediately, the childish awkwardness disappeared and they kissed, lovingly, passionately.

Finally the hangover hit Daniel. He ran to the balcony from last night and vomited over the railing. The lingering tears sprung loose and he leaned over the railing, his head hung low.

"He's right, Daniel," he whispered hoarsely. "Why are you letting her go so easily?" A pause and then: "It's because you…you love her, you idiot. You want her to be happy. And she is. But…I love her…" His stomach churned and he heaved again, all of the remaining food inside him disappearing onto the street and bushes. He stayed there for a moment as to catch his breath, then wiped his mouth and walked back inside to see Sam, Cameron, and Teal'c giving him concerned looks and Vala and Domus only just drawing away.

"When should the wedding be?" Domus asked her huskily. Vala grinned, a ghost of the blinding grin Daniel once knew.

"As soon as possible," she replied eagerly.

"In a week then," Domus declared. "How's that sound?"

"Wonderful!" Suddenly she drew away from Domus's embrace and rushed to Daniel excitedly.

"Oh, Daniel, please say you'll stay for the wedding!" she pleaded happily. Daniel found he could only stare at her, his back rigid and eyes hard. In Sam's mind, he seemed more stoic than Teal'c ever did. Vala didn't notice.

"I can't imagine a wedding without you being there!" she exclaimed. She turned to the rest of the team. "All of you should stay!" she proclaimed, immediately turning back to Daniel. "Please?"

"Um, Vala?" Cam interceded on Daniel's behalf. She turned to him. "I don't think we'd be able to _stay_ for the wedding," he told her, "but Landry'll probably let us come _back_ for it."

"That's wonderful!" she exclaimed. "I sure hope you'll be able to."

"Speaking of which, we should probably be heading back home really soon," Sam said, with a worried glance at Daniel.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed. "This was to be a routine mission only. We are far behind our scheduled return."

"Yeah," Cam mused. "Landry's probably about ready to blow his cork. We should probably leave right now, actually."

Vala nodded. "Of course. I'll see you in a week, then."

"Hopefully," Sam added with a smile. Vala smiled back.

"Yeah."

Sam walked past her, the direction of the 'gate and Cam and Teal'c followed, gently steering Daniel along with them.

XxXxX

By the time the team reached the Stargate, Daniel was dry-heaving. Sam easily fixed the DHD and they dialed home, Cam and Teal'c softly pushing Daniel through the event horizon.

XxXxX

"What in the name--?" General Landry roared, cutting off when Daniel ran to the side of the ramp and dry-heaved. He craned his neck to look over at the archeologist. "What's wrong with him? And where's Vala?"

"Hangover," Cam replied awkwardly. "Vala…is at home." Landry's eyebrows shot up. Then he sighed.

"Take him to the infirmary, then I want the rest of you in the briefing room immediately," he ordered. Cameron and Sam nodded.

"Yes sir."

XxXxX

"So then they decided they would get married in a week," Sam concluded. "And Vala wants us to go, sir."

"To the wedding?"

"Yes sir."

Landry leaned back in his chair thoughtfully.

"Um, sir? If I may?" Cam asked. Landry wave a hand at him wearily.

"Go ahead, Colonel."

"I don't think it would be the best idea to let Jackson go to Vala's wedding, sir," Cam told him. The general opened his eyes and frowned at him.

"I think I know what you're getting at but go on."

"Well, sir," Cam started uneasily, "I'm not completely certain that the entire reason he upchucked every meal he's ever had was because of a hangover. Sure, that helped but…"

"Impeccable timing," Landry muttered. Cam nodded.

"Exactly. And the whole reason he got so drunk in the first place…" Cam trailed off with an "if-you-know-what-I-mean" expression. Landry sighed heavily and leaned forward.

"All right. I want the three of you to go to Vala's wedding. In fact, I'm _ordering_ you to go. Dr. Jackson's staying home."

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	4. Photographs & Memories

"Samantha!" Vala exclaimed, running towards Sam. The colonel smiled at her. Vala stopped a couple feet away from her, taking in her apparel. "I don't think I've ever seen you in a dress."

Sam blushed and looked down at the light purple halter dress she was wearing. "I don't wear them much."

"You should," Vala decided. "When you're not on missions, of course," she added. Sam laughed.

"You see? That's the problem!"

Vala laughed too, and then turned to greet the two males waiting behind Sam. She examined them critically, nodding.

"You two look good in tuxes," she finally answered.

"They're rented," Cam mumbled, embarrassed.

"They still look good on you! Especially you, Teal'c," Vala complimented. Teal'c smiled and nodded gratefully.

"Thank you."

Vala smiled at him. Then she peered over his shoulder, as if looking for something… or someone.

"Where's Daniel?"

Cameron and Sam exchanged awkward glances before Cam made an attempt to reply.

"Uh…he's sick, Vala. Couldn't make it."

Vala frowned. "What's wrong?" she asked, concerned. Cam looked to Sam for help.

"Just a bad cold," Sam answered for him. "Still. General Landry wouldn't let him come. The virus could be deadly to people not of Earth."

Vala looked truly disappointed but nodded. "I guess he's right," she mumbled.

"Though Jackson _did_ tell us he's sorry he can't make it," Cam jumped in, trying to make it up to her. "And good luck. And that he'll miss you. A lot."

It didn't do much to lift her spirits, that was obvious. She nodded dejectedly, forcing a smile onto her lips.

"Well. The show must go on," she declared. "And I've got to go get ready. Sam, would you help?"

Sam looked slightly surprised but nodded. "Yeah, course. I'll be there in a moment, okay?"

Vala nodded and ran off to start getting ready for her big event. Sam turned immediately to Cameron.

"Daniel didn't say _any_ of that. And I don't think he _would've_ said those first two things," she reprimanded. "And if he had, he wouldn't have actually _meant_ it." Cam shrugged.

"Vala doesn't know that."

"I believe Dr. Jackson _would_ have meant those two things, Colonel Carter," Teal'c told her. "Just not in the commonly thought meaning."

Sam stared at him for a moment, thinking. Then she shrugged. "You have a point."

XxXxX

Back on Earth, Daniel was pacing around in his apartment, knowing perfectly well what was going on at the time. It was night in America at the time, but he left all his lights off, too lost in thoughts to realize why he wasn't seeing that well. Soon he found himself in his bedroom, standing in front of his bedside desk, covered in picture frames. He stared at the photographs inside them, letting the thousands of memories wash over him.

The oldest photo on the table was one of him, when he had been about six years old, perched on top of his father's shoulder, his mother to the side, holding his hand. All three of them were grinning widely, one of the happiest families you ever would see. No one would've guessed at the time that that little boy would be all alone in a mere two years.

There was a picture of him and Jack, back before they had become great friends, and were just working together as they explored boundaries where no one on Earth had ever gone before. Daniel looked giddy, like a kid in Disneyland, while Jack was such a large contrast, military and bored, confused by the nerdy man standing beside him.

Then there was the photo of Sha're, the same one he had in his office at the SGC. His eyes lingered on that one for a few moments, wallowing in her simple love and beauty. He had moved on years ago, yes, but he couldn't help but feel a pang of grief as he stared into her sparkling eyes.

He moved on to the group picture of the old SG-1 team, General Hammond and Dr. Janet Fraiser. By now Daniel had moved out of the clumsy/nerdy stage and was starting to fit in with the others of the team. Jack had one arm swung around Daniel's shoulders and another over Teal'c's. Sam was crouching down in front of Jack, hands on her knees. Janet stood to Daniel's other side, closer than either of them usually had dared. Hammond was kneeling in front of Daniel, looking like he was going to need some help getting up after the picture was taken. All five of them had wide grins spread across their faces, looking like a group of more than just friends, but family.

Similar to that photograph, was the one of the team after Cameron had organized them back together. Cam himself was standing in the middle, looking quite triumphant. Sam was to one side of the colonel, Daniel was to the other, and Teal'c was kneeling on one knee in front of Cameron. They still seemed a bit awkward, with Jack's replacement and the general changes of plan, seeing as it had only been a couple weeks after Cam had gotten the team back together. All the same, it was a nice picture.

Finally Daniel came to the last picture frame on the desk. It was the most recent of the lot, taken on the spur of the moment, a complete surprise to one of the persons in the photo, and containing half a person in the background. That person was Sam, laughing at the friends in the center of the picture: Daniel and Vala. Daniel's expression was one of complete shock and soon to be annoyance at the woman giddily pouncing up and actually _on to_ the archeologist's shoulders. The second the camera had snapped the picture had Vala flying in the air, hands on his shoulders and pushing herself up, legs splayed out, coming up around his neck. Her hair was flying out behind her, and her trademark grin was planted across her face. Daniel had gotten mad at Vala after that, no different than ever before, but later, though he never would've admitted it to anyone, he had found it kind of amusing. At the moment, though, he couldn't think of anything but of his irrational reaction afterwards.

Almost like he was in a pool of molasses, Daniel reached out and picked up the picture, bringing it closer and staring into Vala's always-happy eyes, his own eyes welling up with all-too familiar tears.

"Damn you, Daniel Jackson!" he suddenly bellowed, chucking the photo at the wall. Unexpectedly, his breath grew short and the room wavered. His head went light and he collapsed, his world going black.

XxXxX

"It was a beautiful wedding, Vala," Sam was telling the woman, still dressed all in white. "I'm sure you and Domus will be very happy."

Vala smiled gratefully at her.

"We'll miss you, Vala," Cam told her, uneasy from the show of emotion. Vala quickly wiped away a tear.

"Yeah," she replied hoarsely. "I'll miss you too."

Suddenly she attacked the three of them with a large huge, shoulders shaking and the tears unyielding. They hugged her back, one common person entering all their thoughts. Apparently he was in Vala's thoughts too.

"Tell Daniel I'll miss him too," she whispered. "And I'm sorry he couldn't make it. Very."

Sam nodded. "Of course."

Cameron jerked his head the direction of the 'gate, uncomfortable. "We should…be heading back."

Vala nodded, wiping her face with the back of a hand. "Yeah. Bye."

XxXxX

After crossing the event horizon, General Landry was immediately there to greet them, a grim look on his face.

"How was the wedding? How's Vala?" he asked shortly, as if there was something more pressing on his mind.

"The wedding was beautiful," Sam answered. "Vala…is going to miss this life."

Landry nodded, not quite having heard what she had said. "Good, good. Dr. Jackson was supposed to check in and call half an hour ago."

Cameron's eyebrows rose slightly. "Yeah?"

Landry held the colonel's eyes steadily for a moment before continuing. "He didn't. I called his house, and then his cell after ten minutes and didn't get an answer from either. He's either not home and doesn't have his phone on or something's wrong."

Automatically understanding, Cameron nodded. "We'll change right away, sir." He looked to Teal'c and Sam. "Meet me at my truck as soon as you're changed."

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	5. Dying of a Broken Heart

To the team's dismay, they found Daniel's apartment unlocked. That meant he was home. Or whatever was wrong was worse than they thought. Silently, they crept in and automatically split up. Teal'c went towards the kitchen and living room; Sam traveled the direction of the office and the bathroom, whilst Cameron turned towards Daniel's guestroom and bedroom. He flicked on the light in the latter and grimaced.

"Found him!" he bellowed to the others, rushing to check the linguist's pulse. Sam and Teal'c hurried in as he stood back up.

"Well," Cam said grimly. "He's alive at least."

Sam moved past him, over to a small table next to Daniel's bed. She picked up a few picture frames that had fallen, setting them upright and grabbing the one that had been in the middle. She smiled wryly when she saw the picture the broken frame contained and showed it to Teal'c and Cameron.

"He wasn't having a good night," she commented.

"I remember taking that picture," Cam said. "Jackson kinda seemed pissed when I gave him a copy."

"I have a feeling he, in fact, appreciated it," Teal'c mused. Sam glanced at the picture again before removing it from its frame and gently sliding it into a coat pocket.

"I'm gonna reframe it for him," she explained.

"I don't think that'd be the best idea," Cam pointed out.

"_After_ the pain's worn off," Sam amended. Cameron couldn't argue and turned to Teal'c instead.

"Let's get him to the truck."

XxXxX

"How's he doing?" Cam asked in reverent tone. Dr. Carolyn Lam glanced up at him briefly, her lips pursed tightly.

"Not good," she answered truthfully, eyes pausing on Daniel's tortured expression. Cam followed her gaze and winced.

"Do you know what, exactly, is wrong with him?"

Carolyn shook her head. "Other than the fact he hasn't been eating right, is majorly depressed and all of his systems are slowly but surely deteriorating?" She sighed. "No idea. My _guess_ is, and it's not really medical, it's _because_ he's so depressed that he…well. Is dying."

"Dying?" Sam repeated, coming in with Teal'c. Carolyn nodded.

"Dying of a broken heart."

There was a pained silence before Cameron made a half-hearted attempt to crack a joke.

"Well. _That's_ not something you hear of everyday."

"It's his own fault, though."

All four conscious occupants of the room turned to see Jack O'Neill standing in the doorway, wrinkled brow directed in Daniel's direction.

"How is it his fault, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked. Jack thrust a hand at Daniel and walked a couple steps closer.

"Think about it. We all know she had feelings for him. If he had just admitted it, maybe even just to himself, before _now_, before it was too late, she would've never left. She would've never even _considered_ marrying some other guy. If he had only opened the door when opportunity had knocked in the first place, this never would've happened. She'd still be here." Jack grinned sourly. "And that's my little schpeel for the day."

However, what Jack had said struck a chord in each of them. Sam wrenched her gaze away from Daniel and locked eyes with Jack. Cameron and Carolyn _accidentally_ caught each other staring at the opposite. Teal'c's thoughts drifted to a certain blonde Jaffa. They all stood there, everyone thinking of the same thing. After this, after things were steady with Daniel's situation, none of them were going to stand idly by, waiting for someone else to take a chance and step forward. They weren't going to risk such a thing as love any longer.

Suddenly a constant beeping in the background turned to a steady whine and Carolyn whirled around to check Daniel's heart monitor. His heart had stopped. Without a further thought, she turned harshly to the others in the room.

"Out!" she ordered. "Out!"

Immediately, they rushed out of the room and into the adjourning room, with a window to watch. They all sat or stood in anticipation, the irony of it all blatantly obvious in all eyes.

After several tries to restart the archeologist's heart, Carolyn's shoulders slumped. Wearily, she turned around to meet the others' gazes.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I'm calling it."

Sam let her head drop into her hands, suppressing a shuddering sob. Jack's grip on her shoulder tightened, as if trying to reassure her…and himself. Cameron turned away angrily, biting back a bellow of rage. Teal'c lowered his head sadly, every muscle in his body going limp.

Then two things happened simultaneously. Walter's announcement of an unauthorized off world activation sounded over the speakers and Daniel's heart monitor went back to its constant beep. Carolyn spun around disbelievingly and scurried to his side to check his pulse for herself. The friends could tell from the strange fall of her shoulders, it wasn't just a blip in the machines. Daniel was alive.

"SG-1 to the 'gate room immediately," Walter's voice sounded. "SG-1 to the 'gate room immediately."

The team shared confused glances before nodding to Carolyn and rushing off with Jack to the 'gate room.

_A/N: I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism!_


	6. Happy Ending

"Vala!" Sam exclaimed, surprised to see the ex-thief standing on the ramp of the 'gate, her trademark grin on her face.

"Where's my Daniel?" she asked in a demanding tone. Cameron frowned.

"Uh…what about Domus?" he asked. Vala shrugged, her happiness not fading in the slightest.

"We ended up deciding it had been too long ago that we had actually _had_ anything," she answered, "and that we couldn't find that old spark. And I missed you all too much." She paused, looking hard into all four of her friends' eyes. "I ask again, where's my Daniel?"

"Well, old Danny boy just died again for a couple seconds," Jack answered. "Died trying to make you happy."

Vala's grin faded and her eyebrows shot up, shocked. "He's…_dead_?"

Jack shook his head. "He's back now." He paused, a thoughtful look on his face. "You know, I wonder if Daniel has the ability to stay dead."

"Wait, so he died…" Vala trailed off, obviously confused.

"He died of grief," Teal'c explained. "He let go of you because he wished you to be happy, however knowing it would hurt him."

Vala smiled. "That's…so sweet!" she almost cooed.

"Why don't we go talk to him, rather than stand around talking _about_ him?" Cam suggested.

XxXxX

"Sam?" Daniel muttered, squinting from the light. Sam smiled, her motherly smile.

"Yeah, it's me," she told him gently. He blinked, taking in everyone else in the room.

"Jack? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Good to see you to," Jack returned. "You just _died_, for your information. I wasn't going to let you die without me being here."

"I just _died_?" Daniel asked incredulously. "_Again?_"

"You're not getting sick of it yet, are you?" Jack jested. Daniel rolled his eyes.

"Of course not."

"Hey, Jackson. You have a visitor," Cam interrupted. "You know…other than us four."

Daniel frowned. "Who?"

"Me!" Vala exclaimed, jumping into view. Daniel's eyes sparkled, a smile flickering onto his lips. But the sparkle and smile soon disappeared and he sobered, looking away.

"Vala. How was the wedding?" he asked politely. Vala rolled her eyes.

"It was fine. There was something wrong with it though," she told him slyly. Daniel raised his head to meet her gaze again.

"What?" he asked, concerned.

"The groom," Vala replied good-naturedly. Daniel frowned, not understanding.

"What was wrong with Domus?"

Vala sighed, realizing he wasn't going to get it unless she spelled it out for him. "He wasn't you."

Cam and Jack both stifled a laugh at Daniel's bewildered expression. "What are you saying?" he demanded after regaining control of his thoughts. Vala flashed him her blinding grin.

"Domus and I are no longer married. We figured it wasn't going to work out, I'll fill you in on the boring details later," she said dismissively. "The point is, I love you. You should've told me you felt the same."

Daniel was speechless. He told her so. Vala grinned, shaking her head. "You don't need to say anything. Just kiss me."

He obliged willingly. After Vala drew away, Daniel's head spinning and a foolish grin on his face, Jack couldn't help but comment.

"Awww…look! The space monkey's blushing!"

Daniel whipped his head to glare at the general. "Jack!"

_A/N: Thank you to everyone who has, are, and will review and/or read. I love you all!  
_

_I love reviewers and live for constructive criticism! _


End file.
